Our Utah crew is a unique mixture of intellectuals and delinquents, but we love em anyway. I put together a quick interview with them. Read on to learn about a group of kids who followed their dreams and moved out west. Featuring Brady Perron, Jeff Kiesel, Witt Foster, Steve Stepp, and LJ Strenio.
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How did the last season go for you?
Brady - last season went So well… I traveled a whole lot doing little trips with friends to find some new snow and what not. Got to meet and greet, go to school, do a whole lot of skiing and socializing.. filmed a segment with my homey AJ ..4bi9
Jeff - it was fun, didn’t really compete which was sort of a new thing for me hah, just chilled around went to school and just filmed a whole lot with all the 4bifriendlies. Good times.
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Witt - Great! Lots of snow, and fun times playing around in it with my friends.
Steve -Last season was pretty sick. I got a good amount of shredding in but tore my meniscus in March. That sucked.
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LJ - Last season was the most intense fun wild ride of my life! Competition wise it went okay, I didn’t win anything big but I made it to finals in most of the comps and had a great time learning new stuff. Got to film a bit at the end of the season too which was fun.
All of you moved to Utah from the East. Why Utah? And what has the move done to improve your skiing?
Brady - This is zion to the mormon community.
Jeff - school real close to
great skiing is why I came out, and since then I’ve had so many options of
different kinds of skiing all so close to my home, so I’ve just been shredding
a lot of stuff I wouldn’t be back in New Hampshire really easily.
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Witt - I came out here once for a trip when I was younger, and thought it would be awesome to live here. I never really knew how to ski pow before I moved here, but after spending a few years here its all I ever want to do.
Steve - I moved to Utah because I knew a lot of friends from competitions were moving there. I ended up living with some really cool people. Utah has helped my skiing tremendously. Don’t know how though, probably just the ill snow and irie vibes.
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LJ - I chose Utah because I had a lot of friends that had moved out that way and it seemed like the place to be. I spent the second half of my senior year of high school there and sealed the deal to come to college here. The move has improved my skiing in all aspects I think but most importantly it has kept my vibe in check, I’m here to have fun and though I want to compete and shoot tons, I want to keep that fun too. I don’t want what I love to turn into work. HA!
What do you do when you’re not skiing?
Brady - I do music, gatherings, Frisbee, longboard, play with the dogs, sew, battle fifa, and doing the twist
Jeff - pretty much the same as brady seeing as I’m at
that house all the time. But I started skateboarding this past summer and
really enjoy a nice mini ramp.
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Witt - Nothing beats a good Grateful Dead track.
Steve - Skateboard, study, guitar, stack cheddar
LJ - When I’m not skiing, like in the summer I work at the water ramps in PC with John Kutcher but I love to go running, jump on the trampoline, go skating, edit something fun, play some video games such as skate or Call of Duty.
Where is your favorite place to ride?
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Brady - Probably grizzly/pc
Jeff - where the snow at?
Witt - The jersey booters all over little cottonwood.
Steve - Park City dog!!
LJ - That’s a tough one, I have a ton of places I love to ride for different reasons. I’d say if I had to ride one park for the rest of my life it would be Loon’s park, it’s dope! I love PC a lot too, so much fun stuff to do. And my home mountain Smuggs will always be one of my favorite places to shred because I know it better than I know the creek map in COD4.
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What’s a great day of skiing to you?
Brady - most days
Jeff - any day I don’t yell or get hurt
Witt - I like Brady’s answer
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Steve - Wakin’ up early, starting the day with a hot cup of pure Columbian coffee and shredding PC till 4. Then stopping at Davanzas for lunch. Can’t beat that
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LJ - Everyday of skiing. Literally anything. If I had to make one up it would consist of shredding with friends, listening to good music, HUGE nice jumps with soft landings or maybe tons of powder and some sick cliff lines.
Who are your influences?
Jeff - mostly Dave Crichton, always real smooth and on point.
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Witt - Anything I see that looks cool on snow gets me pumped.
Steve - MikD is a big influence…Tommy Wall too because we grew up riding together.
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LJ - ah Everyone I enjoy to watch is my influence. I'd say my biggest influences are probably Wallisch and Will Wesson, I not only like both of their skiing but also like to try to do some of their stuff with my own twist on it, if I can do it at all.
When did you start skiing?
Brady - like 7,8 or 9?
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Jeff - When I was 5.
Witt - I don’t know, let me think, It was real young.. 3 or 4, I think.
Steve - Started when I was 13…. should have been earlier!
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LJ - I skied for the first time when I was like 3 and up until I was 7 or 8 I skied for a week every year during family vacations up to Vermont. Once I moved there I started skiboarding and then when I was like 13 I switched back to skiing.
How many days do you get on snow per year?
Brady, Jeff, and Witt - Whole lotta days.
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Steve - No idea, I might start counting this year
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Sorry Steve, this picture is just too funny to not put in.
LJ - I have no idea, definitely over 100, I think I'll get at least 150
this season.
What’s it like being part of the 4bi9 crew? Do you guys usually all ride together, or is everyone getting more spread out?
Brady, Jeff, and Witt - As far as filming, we don’t really try to bring 30 of us to one zone. As far as everyday park skiing, a large crew usually ensues. Filming is a small, more productive project…less people is usually best. We fight as to who gets to go where haha… and AJ slays it, in every aspect…he’s always down.. to film, get down, get up and get out
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Steve - Being part of 4bi9 is the most hilarious shit ever. We have 2 groups of 4bi9’ers in 2 different houses, its wild. Everyone’s so laid back and funny, and super fun to ski with. Everyday is like a party! Yea we all pretty much ski together whether its BC, urban or PC.
LJ - Riding with 4bi9 is dope, all the kids are sick and good friends of mine. Everyone is also way into different stuff so it's pretty spread out but we still all get to ride together a ton, though I'm not one of the CORE 4bi9ers.
Has your perspective on the sport changed at all since becoming a part of the industry?
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Brady - I’ve realized the youngness of our sport and how its so impressionable.
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Jeff - I think I’ve become more critical of what’s considered “good” in the industry…whether its riders, companies, competitions, etc.
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Witt - Its been a lot of
fun to meet and become friends with some people that I have looked up to for a
long time.
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Steve - Yea it has a lot. I notice it more when I try to remember how skiin was when I just started. It’s sick to know people in the industry and its really fulfilling. I haven’t found anyone I dislike; that’s a good sign.
LJ - Nope I like to think of the industry as something that feeds off the sport, not the other way around. Skiing to me, is what skiing was to me 10 years ago... skiing.
I don’t see you kids enough. Are you going to come to Colorado for an extended period of time? I’ll teach you the finer points of retail, and how to grow a proper beard.
Jeff - I am man enough to grow a beard, but I like not having that stuff on my face! And as for coming to Colorado, not anytime soon for me since I just hurt my shoulder and am out for 3-4 weeks.
Steve - Shoot, you obviously didn’t see that stash I had going for November….so epically grimey. Hahaha, but really, I’m tryin to go to CO a little more often this year. Hook me up with some tickets!!!!!
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LJ - hell yeah, That’s what online classes are for!
